Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Our Social Reflex

While being carried, an infant may lose its balance and unconsciously, instinctively, grab on to their mothers. This is known as the Moro Reflex and it is considered to be a sign of our only unlearned fear. For the infant, to disconnect is an emotional and physical fear, possibly one of short-term pain, long-term loss or ultimately death. According to research this reflex typically fades away after 6 months. I wonder though if it may be that we just transferred it? It appears that from our earliest days we instinctively require security, the security that comes from contact and support of another. Even without having ever felt the pain of a fall or the uncomfortableness found in a lack of contact, each human cell has been pre-programmed to know that without connection it's existence is in jeopardy. And as we grow from infant to adult our need to be connected continues as we fear not physical falling but emotionally, creatively, socially or financially failing. We instinctively reach, as we once did for the survival, to create relationships because still, deep within each cell, we know that without connection our existence is in jeopardy.